How to get a refund for an app subscription

Where to ask depends on where you paid: the App Store, Google Play, or by card on the app's own website. Three routes, the exact steps, and a letter you can copy.

Information checked on 2026-09-28.

First work out where you paid. If the purchase shows up in your phone's subscriptions list, you ask Apple or Google for the money, not the app. If you paid by card on a website, you ask the company itself. Your purchase confirmation email will tell you which.

1. You bought through the App Store (iPhone, iPad)

Apple is the seller, so Apple issues the refund:

  1. Go to reportaproblem.apple.com and sign in with the same Apple Account.
  2. Find the purchase or the subscription charge in the list.
  3. Choose “Request a refund” and pick a reason – for example that the subscription renewed by accident, or that the service didn't match its description.
  4. Write one clear sentence about what happened and send it.

A decision usually arrives within 24–48 hours. A refusal is not final – you can submit the request again with more detail (for example that the subscription had been cancelled and you were charged anyway). Cancel the subscription itself at the same time, or it will simply renew again – how to do that.

2. You bought through Google Play (Android)

  1. Open play.google.com or the Google Play app, go to your account and your purchase history.
  2. Next to the charge, choose “Report a problem”.
  3. Pick a reason and describe the situation briefly.

Some requests are decided by Google and some by the app's own company, so it can take a few working days. If the company refuses, the same request can be escalated through Google.

3. You paid by card on the app's website

Then neither Apple nor Google is involved – the subscription doesn't even appear in your phone settings. You have to ask the company directly, in writing, so there is a record.

Check two things before you write:

  • The refund policy – most apps have their own “money-back guarantee” with a deadline and conditions.
  • The purchase email – it has the order number and the amount you'll need to quote.

A letter you can copy

Subject: Refund request for a subscription (order no. …)

Hello,
on [date] my card was charged [amount] for a [service name] subscription (order no. …, email …).
I am asking for this amount to be refunded, because [reason: the subscription was cancelled on [date]; the service did not match its description; the charge was taken without notice of a price change].
Please reply within 14 days. If I receive no reply, I will contact the consumer protection authority.
Kind regards, [your name]

Attach a screenshot of the cancellation confirmation or the line from your bank statement. One sentence with a date and an amount does more than a long story.

Does the 14-day right to withdraw apply?

When you buy online, you can normally return goods and services within 14 days without giving a reason. Digital services have an important exception: if at checkout you confirmed that the service starts immediately and that you therefore lose the right to withdraw, the 14-day rule no longer applies. That tick box is exactly what most apps ask for.

It doesn't mean the money is lost. Three routes remain: the seller's own published refund terms, a complaint to the consumer authority, and a chargeback through your bank.

If they refuse, or don't reply

  1. Ask for the refusal in writing, and for the term it is based on.
  2. Complain to the consumer authority. In Lithuania that is VVTAT – it's free, can be done online, and the company has to respond.
  3. If the seller is in another EU country, contact the European Consumer Centre in your country.
  4. Paid by card? Ask your bank about a chargeback. The deadlines are limited, so don't wait.

The step-by-step for being charged after cancelling is in its own guide.

So it doesn't happen again

  • Before paying, find where it says what the price is after the first period, and when it is taken.
  • Set a reminder 2–3 days before the renewal date.
  • Keep the purchase email – a request is much harder to handle without it.
  • Run through the checklist before you buy, or compare apps against the nine criteria.
How it works here. Dumpli shows the price upfront, cancelling takes one tap, and once you've paid there is a 30-day refund, no questions asked. Pricing · Our promises

Frequently asked questions

How do I get a refund for an App Store purchase?

Go to reportaproblem.apple.com, sign in with the same Apple Account, pick the purchase and choose “Request a refund”. Apple decides, usually within 24–48 hours. A refusal isn't final – you can submit the request again with more detail.

How do I get a refund for a Google Play subscription?

In Google Play (site or app): your account → Purchase history → “Report a problem” next to the charge, then pick a reason. The first answer usually comes within a few working days; some decisions are made by the app's own company.

Does the 14-day right to withdraw apply?

For digital services it only applies if you did not confirm at checkout that the service starts immediately and that you therefore lose the right to withdraw. Most apps ask you to tick exactly that, so the 14-day rule often no longer applies. It doesn't mean the money is gone – the seller's own refund terms and the complaint routes remain.

How long does a refund take?

Apple and Google usually give a decision in 1–4 days, and the money is back on the card a few working days after that. When you write to the company directly, allow 14 days for a reply – after that you can complain to the consumer authority.

What if they refuse?

Ask for the refusal in writing and for the term it is based on. Then complain – free of charge – to your national consumer authority (in Lithuania, VVTAT), or to the European Consumer Centre if the seller is in another EU country. If you paid by card, ask your bank about a chargeback.

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